Bushnell Forge 15x56 Review (1 Viewer)

[John A Roberts]

Arek has added a review of the Forge 15x56 to his site Allbinos at: https://www.allbinos.com/index.php?test=lornetki&test_l=346

It uses Abbe-Koenig prisms, and while the overall performance is good, the transmission level is somewhat low
- though it needs to kept in mind that the US retail price is only $800


John


n.b. there is also an earlier Allbinos review of the Forge 8x42 at: https://www.allbinos.com/index.php?test=lornetki&test_l=340
and some comments at: https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=384382

 

[Hamblin113]

Though this is an old post, I thought I would give an update. They are on sale on the Bushnell website for $599.

I have owned this binocular for over a year and want to express my thoughts.

I bought these thinking I need 15x56 binoculars as there are a lot around where I live mostly Swarovski SLC which are expensive and do not have enough eye relief for my eyeglasses. Never try to keep up with the Jones.

When I received them I wonder if I did the right thing, they provided an excellent view, but hard to hold steady and distant viewing they would magnify the atmosphere as well, you can see heat waves and even the wind when it is blowing dust or moisture which obscured the view. This was the 15x issue more than the brand.

Then Cornell School of Ornithology had a competition on watching birds from your yard due to covid19 using eBirds. I would sit in my backyard with an 8x and the 15x and count the birds. I learned to hold the 15x steady by leaning the chair against a tree, and what a joy it was to look at birds you could count the feathers.

I really like these binoculars and glade I bought them. When I read the albinos review I was kind of disappointed.

They may not be for everybody. They have great eye relief for eye glass users. They come with great kit. They do have a flaw in their ocular covers as the caps are attached to the body which is just a part of the cover and both have ripped off.

The other is the focus wheel turns in different directions than other binoculars infinity is counter clockwise.

If you are wanting a pair of 15x and the alphas are to $$$ this is a great buy on a good pair of binoculars. Sorry for being long winded.

 

[jcnguyen09]

For the big eyes, my experience was that the common sounding budget wise verbal phrase "you pay for what you get" applied really well here! I started out with the Nikon Monarch 5 16x56. quite good Nikon glass, narrow 215' FOV, not enough eye relief (16.4mm) for glasses wearers. I then tried out the Conquest, Meota,... Ended up with a new SLC HD 15x56 considered to be the best and really like it! I don't carry it on trips much anymore since I added the NL 12x42 which traveled with me on every trips. However, I really love the SLC HD 15x56 and now have it permanently on the tripod in my home viewing station. Although it's eye relief said 16mm, with my glasses on, I have no problem to see the entire, grand view due to the way the low profile eye cub constructed the way that is low profile and flat against the oculars.

 

[DunninLA]

Inasmuch as I am really considering these to complement my 10x42 bino and a 49x127 MAK (using Televue 32mm plossl) for observing from my back balcony --

I want to add two comments.

Firstly, I don't doubt the allbinos comment about lack of transmission... which if recall is 80. something %. However, everything is about context. For my daytime use, that isn't really a relevant performance criterion to me. I am not trying to view in the last 30 minutes of the day. The amount of light transmitted with its 3.7 exit pupil is more than my eyes can contain anyway in the middle of the day.

Second, I read a comment by a person who is involved in competitive rifle competitions where 15x56 binos are becoming more common for spotting. He noted this 15x56 forge resolves better than the Athlon Cronos 15x56.

That's all. Just updating.